Raccoon
The Raccoon is broadly distributed across North and Central America. It is found across southern Canada and throughout most of the United States. Other countries of its native distribution are Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama.
The population is increasing.
Raccoons are able to adapt to the human environments. As a result, Raccoon populations increase in suburban areas, and species range increase in North America already since the 19th century.
Few major threats exist to the survival of species. Regionally populations can be affected by hunting, trapping and poisoning.
The Raccoon is also widely introduced outside its natural range, mostly because of commercial value of its pelts, but also via escapes of farmed animals.
The self-sustaining populations of introduced animals have established in Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, Uzbekistan as well as the state of Georgia of United States. Individual sightings have also been recorded from Denmark, Norway, Sweden and United Kingdom, but there yet is no evidence of established populations.
Taxonomy
■ Phylum Chordata – chordates
■ Class Mammalia – mammals
■ Order Carnivora – carnivores
■ Family Procyonidae – procyonids
■ Species Procyon lotor – Raccoon
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